The backyard is abloom!
This is the wonderful time of year when plants blossom again, and the pollinators are monitoring the development of their food sources....
Food for bees after the cutting of the lavatera
Honey bee in a nasturtium blossom This weekend we cut the lavatera tree down to the nubs to save it from the rust virus that had spread...
Bees at work
It was very warm on Sunday May 1st, which meant a lot of bees out and about. Here are images of different bees in the garden on various...
Oak titmouse in the backyard
What luck to get this shot of the oak titmouse through our kitchen window! These birds are small, yet have very bold, elaborate calls and...
Happy May Day with the cabbage moth
A cabbage moth flitted around the garden today and lingered in a patch of native plants, sipping nectar and sunning itself. First it flew...
Hooded orioles nesting in the palm tree
We finally are able to observe hooded orioles nesting in the neighbors' palm tree. As you may remember, in an earlier post several months...
Oh no! Rust virus attacks the Lavatera shrub!
Well, the rust disease is attacking our lavatera shrub and this is not going to be a cheerful post. Lavatera is member of the mallow...
Honey bee and the orange blossom
A honey bee spent a few minutes on a blossom on the dwarf Valencia orange tree. It was very intent on getting everything it could out of...
Welcome back, Umber Skippers !
How exciting! Today I saw umber skippers in the garden for the first time since last autumn! The skipper in the image above is perched on...
Bumble bee sighting in the backyard
I was so excited to see this bumble bee in our backyard. While checking one of the bird baths, I heard a buzzing sound near me. I turned...
